Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com brings you some of the innovative cars presented at the latest edition of the Consumer Electronics Show.

A Mercedes-Maybach S650 Guard was recently added to the prime minister's cavalcade by the Special Protection Group.

"The cars cost much less than the media speculation, in fact it is about one-third of the price quoted in the media," an official source said.

Even with an ongoing pandemic, theatres in many states functioning at 50 per cent occupancy, a quieter social life and fewer movies, Bollywood still managed to pack in plenty of drama and trauma, fun and festivity, love and war into the year.

'Some of the launches may get deferred due to the semiconductor shortage, which is unlikely to get resolved before the second half of 2022.'

India's electric mobility goal, which has so far been riding on two wheels, is all set to graduate to four wheels. At least, the journey has begun. Hyundai Motor India said it would invest Rs 4,000 crore till 2028 to launch half-a-dozen electric vehicles (EVs) in India. It would eventually straddle premium and mass segments. The first of these - the electrified version of an internal combustion engine (ICE)-powered model - will go on sale as early as next year.

Diego Maradona's fans will have a chance to snap up memorabilia from the soccer star in an auction on Sunday, just over a year after his death, which will include his iconic cigars, a pair of BMW cars and a luxury villa that Maradona bought his parents.

And it feels entirely different when compared to all its earlier avatars, observes Pavan Lall.

While the Q5 is a light driving car that feels like you can easily fling it over and around brooks and brushes and hills and plains, it's also versatile in that its rear seat is as comfy and spacious as you'd expect, says Pavan Lall.

'The global semiconductor shortage has inadvertently provided an immense fillip to the pre-owned car market'

Every M&M car shares a certain DNA which is rugged, with an off-roading quality and built for hard wear and tear. The XUV is all those, but also has a smoother edge for those who want city comfort now offered in competitor vehicles such as the MG Hector, Hyundai Creta, Volkswagen Tiguan and Tata's Harrier, says Pavan Lall.

Prithvi, who turns 22 on November 9, bought the BMW 630i M Sport car, which costs around Rs 68 lakh (Rs 6.8 million).

With cars like the Toyota Corolla and the Honda Civic selling in very small numbers and potentially even being phased out, the Octavia has very little competition, says Pavan Lall.

While the rich are buying expensive luxury vehicles in Patna, the poor continue to suffer. The pandemic, discovers M I Khan, has cast new light on the stark economic divide in the capital city of Bihar, India's poorest state.

The MG Motor India management is focused on scaling up and launching smaller cars to play the long game in the country, says Pavan Lall.

Zippy and comfortable, the Mini Convertible is a perfect car for short jaunts, but this isn't the ride you'd choose to take your entire family to the airport or pick for a long family excursion, says Pavan Lall.

It has get-up-and-go and is possessed of immense agility, observes Pavan Lall.

However, it has an auditory feature that throws up a soft but audible whirring sound like a spaceship while driving as well as a different tone on the outside to let bystanders know a car is on its way, says Pavan Lall.

Tata Motors has halved the volume outlook for its UK subsidiary Jaguar Land Rover Automotive (JLR) and warned of lower earnings as it sees the semiconductor shortage deepening in the September quarter of the current financial year, according to a notification issued by the company to the stock exchanges on Tuesday. The announcement caught investors unawares. They were hoping for a quicker recovery. Tata Motors' stock tanked 13 per cent (on July 6) from the day's high of Rs 358.10 and hit the lower circuit (Rs 311.45) in intra-day trades.

An ardent fan of F1 driver, Max Verstappen, Yuvraj keenly follows the Scuderia Ferrari Formula1 team.

Auto component makers in India are bracing for a tough time. High absenteeism among workers owing to Covid-19, shortages of critical parts, and temporary closures of plants by automobile manufacturers have thrown a spanner in the works for the Rs 3.2-trillion sector, which derives 60 per cent of its revenues from automobile original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), with the balance split equally between replacement demand and exports. Car market leader Maruti Suzuki India on Saturday said it was extending the maintenance shutdown, which was from May 1 to 9, till May 16, "keeping in view the current pandemic situation". Some activities will continue in the plants.

The new car market is estimated at around 30,000 units a year in sales in a good year, whereas the used car market for luxury vehicles is estimated at around 60,000 cars annually.

What will it take for Tesla to plug and play in India? Sector pundits say it's a mix of strategy, getting the price right, timing, the right talent, and above all, patience.

In addition to this confusion, classification issues, revenue biases in rulings, delays in disposing of applications, and lack of senior officers in AARs have made the advance ruling mechanism under GST unpopular among industry players, reports Dilasha Seth.

The car was expected to have a price tag of Rs 10 lakh and launch was slated for this June.

Step on the gas and the power that propels the compact four-seater will take you by surprise as it hurtles towards the 80 kmph like a racing thoroughbred, never compromising any stability thanks to its rigid chassis and solid 1,600-kg kerb weight that gives it a well-planted feel along straights, corners and tricky lanes and roads, says Pavan Lall.

Smooth engine, plush interiors, great suspension that handle dodgy roads with ease, futuristic design elements that have little by way of competition in the market -- it's all there, says Pavan Lall.

Why is the Mini the only "lifestyle" auto badge that seems to be growing and staying strong? Pavan Lall finds out.

What explains India's love affair with SUVs? They are not exactly "value for money" -- the watchword for brands across segments -- nor always practical. Is it for the badge value? Or the butch imagery associated with SUVs? Maybe both, says Alokananda Chakraborty.

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The answer would have been an unequivocal yes had the A4 been priced more aggressively, says Pavan Lall.

Mercedes-Benz India, BMW India and Audi India have lined up over 50 new model launches as they seek to recoup previous year's loss in volumes, reports Shally Seth Mohile.

With all the safety equipment that it features, the S60 could be the smarter, more mature sedan alternative that consumers in this price category want, says Pavan Lall.

There are a whopping 10 sedans slated for a launch in India this year. Rajesh Karkera/Rediff.com gives the lowdown.

For those who've always wanted to drive a BMW in India, the 2 Series is easily the most fun to drive everyday car that money can buy.

Automakers are caught in a chicken-and-egg situation: Prices have to come down if volumes are to increase, and volumes won't increase unless prices come down, notes Pavan Lall.

The state government's statement came soon after Dutee tried to douse the controversy that erupted when she put her BMW car on sale.

Uniqueness of the first-ever BMW X3 M lies in a newly developed powerful engine and sophisticated chassis technology.

Cars priced above Rs 25 lakh account for 1 per cent in India's 3 million-car market and the share has remained unchanged over the last five years.

From being exorbitantly priced to facing stiff competition, Harley was always going to find it tough to crack a market like India, says Dhruv Munjal.